


Lady in White

by Lady_Amarant



Series: Deeper than Bonds [2]
Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, M/M, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-16
Updated: 2014-08-31
Packaged: 2018-01-12 17:41:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1193904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Amarant/pseuds/Lady_Amarant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Six months after nearly being assassinated several times, Flynn is convinced to take a vacation. While on vacation, he meets with faces he thought he’d never see again, as well as a murder and a lady in white.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

For the first time, that empty feeling had left him. A piece of him that had been torn out felt full again, bubbling with energy. Everything that he had asked for... he took a deep breath, looking around. He had to thank her. That silver haired angel, the one that had given everything back to him after his wife had died...

But she was nowhere to be found. Oh, of course. She was usually down by the river, hair shining in the moonlight as if she had just taken a bath. That’s where she would be again. Silly. How could he had forgotten? He nearly ran down to the river, his steps lighter than they had ever been. Life could finally move on, all thanks to her.

Down by the water, she was still not to be seen. That was fine; he could wait for her. She was probably out looking for food, scavenging or hunting beasts. She had lived out here for so long that she could do it herself. Maybe, though... he would relieve her of that chore. Sweep the tiny woman into his arms, brush that sodden hair back from her face, and litter her cheeks and lips with passionate kisses, bearing her down to the ground as he promised her a life of ease... he groaned as the thought raced through him, reaching down to adjust himself. Yes, he could give her the life she always deserved.

A splash drew his attention, and he turned back to the river. It was probably nothing, fish, but at this time of night he didn’t put anything to chance. Bandits were still a possibility, as were nocturnal monsters. His hand rested on the sling by his side as he approached the river, scanning for any threats. If anything would hurt his precious-!

Another splash caught his eyes downward, and he startled. There she was, looking up at him! Her blue eyes were wide as she reached up for him, silver hair floating around her. Something screamed at him, telling him that there was no way for her to be that deep, that the river was too shallow for this. But it was flung aside as he dove in to rescue her, too late hearing her musical giggle in her ears as water rushed in to cradle and bind him.

When booted feet hit the ground by the river, the body had been floating there for at least four hours. Dark eyes narrowed, taking in the scene. Another one. Damn her. Lips drew back off teeth in a snarl. It was too late to find her now. She had gone to her hiding spot, and no one could follow her there. No, it was now time to wait. Wait for her to reveal herself again.

And this time, she would not get away.

* * *

_That_ had been a disaster.

Not much more could be said about his day other than total disaster. While it was tempting to ignore everything that was needed to be done as he entered his room, Flynn carefully shut the door behind him and went to where his sword hung, pulling it free and starting to clean and oil it. The sheer routine of taking care of his equipment be started to calm his emotions until he was able to put it back in the sheath and pour a glass of wine without wanting to shatter the glass first.

It never occurred to him he would miss Sodia as much as he would until he had to deal with her replacements. Plural, as no one he promoted was ever as competent as she had been. Not only that, but half of them had heard about his twitchiness after the assassination attempts and had quit after nearly being skewered (Flynn still maintained it was their fault for startling him when he was focused on something else or caught in a nightmare about lips that drained his life and sharp teeth that made him wonder where the line of nightmare lay) while the other half were still under suspicion of being under that woman’s unnatural control. While Sodia had been puppeted, it had been apparently by something called a Spinneret that used strings, and her mind had been her own during that time, and she was still trustworthy-

 _And still had killed Yuri while under her own mind._ he reminded himself. It was enough to lose trust to have her by his side. Which put him in this dilemma of rotating second-in-commands that he couldn’t depend on, had to fire or quit on him, and lost paperwork constantly such as the supplies for armor today. Flynn groaned before taking a large gulp of wine, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling.

After work should have been stress relief. Lady Estellise had mentioned a very nice man she had met, almost apologetic after the disaster that had been the week with Lady Nadia (and Flynn quickly skirted his mind away from how that attempt had ended). He was intelligent, funny, and perhaps the most important, _alive._ He didn’t ask where the scars on Flynn’s neck came from, and had in fact made him smile quite often during dinner. Given time, he could have seen the two of them becoming friends.

How wrong he had been.

And now his glass was empty. Flynn reached out for the wine bottle again, and froze as he heard the door to his room open without a single knock. His other hand slowly drifted to the knife he always kept at his side as he turned his head to look at the intruder.

“I thought you would be back later than this.” Judith lounged in the threshold, her arms crossed under her ample bosom to almost emphasize them. Flynn could feel a blush creeping across his cheeks as he realized it was not an accident that she stood that way. “I take it your date didn’t go so well tonight,” she commented as she closed the door behind her.

Six months ago, he would have told her it was none of her business. Six months ago, he hadn’t nearly been assassinated several times, revealed a plot to kill His Highness Ioder and put a mind controlled Estellise on the throne, and realized he was attracted to his dead best friend. Even Lady Estellise wasn’t enough, as talking to her seemed counter to helping. She seemed to want to soothe him more than anything, and while it helped during acute attacks... Judith seemed to know what to say, in her blunt way, to make him _think_. And eventually, after three months... “No,” he told her, entrusting her with the truth. “It didn’t.”

With carefree motions, she plucked the bottle from his hands and proceeded to rummage for another glass. This had happened enough that he had gone and bought another, not caring to watch her take swings directly from the bottle. Satisfied, she poured two glasses and nearly did the same to the chair across from him, her limbs moving gracefully before her long fingers wrapped themselves around the stem and she took a long sip of wine. “Well, don’t just leave it there. Tell Mama Judy all about it.”

Flynn resisted the urge to drop his head against the table. He did _not_ wish to think about this. Which probably meant he needed to, and not let it fester and bother him more. “He was... nice.”

“And...” she prompted.

“And funny.”

“Don’t make me have to take more extreme measures.”

Flynn sighed. Extreme measures usually involved some form of tickling, as she found he was quite sensitive. “It might be because I don’t wish to talk about it. It’s the usual problem.”

Judith rolled her eyes. “Of course.” She took a large gulp of wine, then looked at him critically. “The usual problem” was something she was quite aware of, and something that had taken her by surprise at first. She hadn’t known he had been a virgin, completely uninterested in the people around him. And she hadn’t known that he had started to feel particularly close to Yuri, to the point his death nearly shattered him. So when he mentioned that none of the dates he went on to distract him from what had happened, he felt no sexual attraction to, she hadn’t quite understood. Flynn still hadn’t told her that he had lost the virgin status as the implications to how still made him nearly lose all contents of his stomach even if he had still thought Yuri was alive at the time, so she merely thought he had no interest in sex at all. “One would think they would wait until they got to know you and got to know if fucking you was a deal breaker or if they actually cared for you before asking that question.”

Unfortunately for Flynn, he had been taking a sip of wine when the bluntness made him splutter. He didn’t quite get it all over Judith, but the table certainly got a layer of Chardonnay. “Judith!” he exclaimed, his ears burning enough to be scarlet.

Her face remained a stony unamused look, but the twinkle in her eyes belied the amusement at his reaction as she passed him a washcloth. “Why do you keep going on these dates? Men, women... every time I’m in town you’re drinking and have a new story to tell about some idiot thinking they can get in the Commandant’s pants.”

Flynn stopped mopping up the wine for a moment, his eyes focused on a small flaw in the wood. Why did he keep going on these dates? They never did end well, she was right. Even the best ones ended with his lover asking when they would finally sleep together. One he had even forced himself to do so, thinking it was something he just had to do, and ended the relationship the next day as the feeling of guilt for taking it to that level when he simply didn’t feel that deeply for her had kept him awake all night. But the one that did make him want, the one that sparked between them and drew him closer just by being in the same room... He shook his head, trying to forget. He couldn’t remember that, couldn’t let himself want that. “I don’t know.”

A lie, but she didn’t need to know why his hand half rose to his neck, why he still woke with an erection that didn’t go away until he cupped his scars as he brought himself to climax. Judith sat back, studying his face. She knew he was lying, but since she didn’t know the whole truth, she couldn’t have guessed it was about Yuri. “You can’t distract yourself forever from what happened,” she said finally. “It’s great you’re reaching back out to people instead of shutting yourself away. You were closing yourself off for a while there and you were getting more and more paranoid as time went on. But this isn’t healthy either, cycling through people like this.”

At this point, Flynn did let his head hit the table. “Then what do you suggest, Judith?” he asked, his voice muffled by the wood.

“A vacation. Get away from Zaphias, from where this all happened, and relax a bit. See some sights, eat some food you never usually eat, get drunk on some truly rotgut alcohol... if you want, you can take Ba’ul so you don’t have to deal with other people as you go from town to town,” came her prompt reply.

He eyed her skeptically. A vacation... while it wasn’t exactly a bad idea, it did have flaws. Who would take care of the army while he was gone? There were some breathtakingly incompetent people as well as compromised soldiers that were still breaking the control, some of which had to retire as they couldn’t handle it. Not to mention- “And where would you be while I’m on vacation with Ba’ul?”

Judith tilted her head innocently, which instantly meant he would not like the next words out her mouth. “Why, next to you. Someone needs to be able to haul you up to your room and hold your hair back as you vomit up that rotgut ale.”

“And your duties to Brave Vesperia?” It wasn’t that he wouldn’t mind taking a vacation with Judith. A bit to the contrary; when she wasn’t needling him she was fun to be around. And he did feel he didn’t see her enough. Something about her... he never knew the depths of her intelligence, her compassion, or her sense of humor. It reminded him of- of Yuri, in a way. But not in many ways, that she was her own person. At the same time, he didn’t want her to shirk her duties.

She waved her hand. “I’ve been working non-stop for the last six months. Karol agrees that it’s in my best interest to take some time off and relax for more than a few hours talking to you.”

“He agrees?” Flynn echoed dubiously. Judith laughed, leaning back and draining her glass.

“Well, more that he has become a nagging mother and is threatening to put me on forced vacation if I don’t take it myself. While I see it as a waste of time, I think it would be less so if it meant you came back with a smile on your face.”

Even though he knew she meant it without any sexual intent, he couldn’t help but flush. “It doesn’t sound like much of a vacation if you’re spending it looking after me,” he finally managed, pouring her another glass.

“Oh Flynn.” She shook her head. “You really haven’t taken any time off recently, have you.”


	2. Chapter 2

“I think it’s a great idea.” Flynn blanched as Estellise lowered her cup. There were only so many hours in the day, and an hour set aside for tea (that he made himself. After being poisoned, he still felt leery about accepting drinks from others) ofttimes was the only time they could speak about frivolous things. She only nodded at his surprised face, smiling. “You have been working yourself so hard lately, stressing yourself even more than you should. It’d been a while since you snapped at someone, but yesterday...”

“Those forms should have never been lost,” came the protest.

She shook her head. “Even so. You shouldn’t put yourself under such stress. And every time you come back from a date you’re worse than usual.” Estellise paused here, a shadow of guilt sweeping across her face. She had been the one to introduce him to most of them, trying to get his mind off Yuri and where and what he might be. A small pang of shame pulsed through his chest as he thought back to the bottle of wine in his room, not the first he had finished after such a night. “I think it’ll do some good,” she said instead. “We’ll be fine without you for a month.”

“A month!” Flynn started, looking at her incredulously. “I can’t be away for that long!”

“You most certainly can.” She gave him a serious look, putting her cup and saucer down. “Things are better here than you think, Flynn. It won’t be too much of a problem. And Rita will be here in a week anyway so-”

Flynn closed his eyes. If he was still here when Rita arrived, he had no doubt she and Judith both would tie him up and force him on vacation. And the scary thing was he knew the teen mage could do it. He opened his eyes as he realized Estellise had trailed off, catching sight of the small smile playing on her lips. “I’m glad you two are doing well,” he told her softly, watching with amusement as she started to flush.

“It’s not- I mean-” Her hands raised, almost waving an unsaid accusation off. “I- It’s not obvious, is it?”

“I saw the moment you realized it, so I may not be the person to ask.” Estellise’s head drooped, the blush still rosy on her cheeks, her hands twisting on her lap. “Lady Estellise... is everything okay?”

Catherine’s legacy had lived on in more than just fear and paranoia of mind controlled soldiers. While she had never touched Estellise inappropriately, as far as Flynn could tell, something had happened that made her increasingly skittish as she broke whisper fine control on her own mind. Estellise shook her head as she looked at her fingers. “I... I just feel like I’m letting Rita down. I want to give her more, I really do, but then I... I’m afraid. I’m afraid of what’s me, what’s still _her_ mind control... What if I break the last of it and...”

Flynn took one of her hands before it could twist the fabric of her dress any further. “Have you talked to Rita about this?”

A small shake of her head was the only answer. Then she exhaled, her hand tightening on his in silent fear. He squeezed back, not really sure what to say. Estellise needed to talk to Rita about these fears. Flynn knew they were ungrounded, and that she would still be there for her. But what to say to her, how to tell her everything was okay... “Your feelings for Rita were clear even before you knew them,” he tried softly. “To those of us who watched you see the world and grow, we could see you care deeply for her. You will never let her down.”

A tremulous smile settled on her lips, a hand coming up in case there were tears to be wiped away. “I’m being silly, aren’t I?”

Flynn shook his head. “Not at all. With what has happened... it’s a real worry. I merely think that how you feel about her will still be there in the end.”

Her hand tightened on his as her smile solidified a bit. “Thank you. I feel like I should be taking a vacation too, after all of this!” she added, her voice holding a hint of a trembling laugh at the end.

“If I have to go on one, then I think you and Rita should take one as well.” He was only half joking, but Estellise considered his words as if they were all serious.

“I think... you might be right. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the blossoms in Halure...” Estellise tilted her head as she thought. “Well, anyway, next time Judy’s here, you should go with her! I’ll talk to Rita when she comes by and see if she wants to go on vacation too.” She nodded, decisively. “And then we’ll both come back feeling better and able to take on what’s going on.”

Her enthusiasm was infectious. Flynn found himself smiling in return, relieved that while she might not have the answer to the questions she had, she at least had a way to explore them and a reason to relax. “I don’t know if His Highness will allow both of us to be gone at the same time,” he started before he caught sight of Estellise’s serious face.

“He will. If he won’t, I’ll talk to him.”

A knock on the door pulled them both from the conversation, Flynn’s hand reaching for his sword before Estellise stopped him, shaking her head. “Yes?” she called, not standing.

“Your presence is needed in the Main Hall, My Lady,” came a servant’s voice, muffled from the door. They had learned early on that opening the door while Flynn was there may set off the paranoia that the assassinations and subsequent ferreting out of mind controlled soldiers had laid within him, and instead stood outside until they knew it was safe. Flynn clenched his hand into a fist as he lowered it, his jaw setting.

“You might be right,” he told her quietly as she stood. “You and Judith. How I am... this is affecting everyone. I’ll start packing tonight.”

There wasn’t much more, he felt, that she could say that wasn’t already said by the joy suffusing her face at his words.

* * *

It was a struggle to convince himself not to bring his usual armor. The point of this vacation was to relax, not to be Commandant Flynn Scifo, and he was most recognizable in his uniform and armor. But, as he knew, he would need some way to defend himself and something to blunt any damage taken if they ran into monsters. He doubted Judith was going anywhere without a spear of her own, and he would need to figure out how to take armor that protected him, fit well, and didn’t give away his station on sight.

Eventually, as the sun lit the sky, Flynn had to tell himself he was just stalling. Even if he had agreed to go on the vacation, he still couldn’t shake the feeling something would go wrong if he did. It almost made him want to tell Judith no, something had arisen. But the lie felt wrong on his tongue, twisted and bitter. Not to mention that look on the princess’s face... he let out a breath and picked up the bundled pack. Maybe once Judith saw how much of a dried stick he was, she would give up on trying to make him have fun and let him come back.

Except he wasn’t always like that, was he? Some of the scrapes Yuri used to get blamed for he would confess were his idea, too guilty to let another take the blame for his own bad decisions... When had he changed? Flynn took one last look around before he left, the thought dogging him. He shouldn’t feel like he didn’t know how to have fun. He shouldn’t feel like his childhood was a dream he couldn’t even reach for again.

Judith waited for him still, one hand absently patting Ba’ul and murmuring as he approached. Awkward, he paused, not sure he wanted to interrupt her. He knew what the Entelexeia meant to her, and it was hard to break between their bond. After a moment, she turned, a small smile curving her lips. “I was expecting to have to convince you to come with me right about now, Flynn.”

He returned her smile with a small shrug. “There isn’t much choice I have. If I tried to make you leave without me, you’d tie me up and drag me along. If I tried to slip away before we took off, Princess Estellise would find me and force me back, perhaps even at sword point. And... I’m starting to realize something’s wrong. I just-”

“-don’t know how to fix it.” Judith turned slightly, looking up at something only she could see. “You’re not supposed to fix everything, Flynn. Some things you just need to let go, and move on. Live your life, instead of being stuck in a past cascading further into disaster as you try to ‘fix’ it.” She looked at him, grave. “You can’t change your past. So let’s go, and live a present.”

She made it sound so easy. Flynn looked up at Ba’ul, then back at Judith. If anything- “Let’s give it a try.”

A feral grin curled her lips as she slapped his back. “That’s the spirit.”

* * *

It was looking at him. Flynn reached for his fork and poked at it, certain it had grown eyes and was now looking at him. “What is this?” he asked Judith doubtfully, watching the substance quiver under his fork.

”Dinner.” Deftly, she cut off a piece of her own and bravely stuck it in her mouth, her eyes half closing as she chewed. The inn wasn’t too full, and not everyone was down for dinner yet. Though... Flynn watched her eat, wary of how she would react, certain the reason why people weren’t down for dinner was that the food was alive. “Oh come on. It’s good.”

Muttering under his breath about Krityan stomachs, Flynn carefully gave his own... he hesitated to call it dinner, a try. It sat oddly on his tongue, felt strange as he chewed- and tasted actually pretty good. He looked down at his place with surprise, then back up at Judith and the half smile she wore. “What is this?” he asked again, his tone much kinder towards his meal as he took another bite.

She shrugged. “Dinner. Probably local wildlife. I’ve had it before. Every time it comes out looking like it should be the leftover slop from a real dish, and every time it’s pretty good.” Judith took another bite, then reached for her mug. Flynn found himself sucking in an alarmed breath, wanting warning her not to drink it, he hadn’t known who had access to it. Pausing before the liquid hit her lips, she lowered her mug, eyes meeting his intently. “Flynn. Look around. No one knows who you are. They know who I am because I’ve done a few jobs in this area. But they only know you in your Commandant outfit. This isn’t Zaphias; they don’t know you on sight. No one is going to want to drug us.”

The breath he took finally released, the grip he had taken on his fork when she started to take a drink easing slightly. This was the point of this vacation, to be around people who wouldn’t know him on sight and wouldn’t want to try to harm him. Flynn forced himself to relax more, taking deep breaths. “For my peace of mind, could you at least be careful?”

Her violet eyes studied his face, then dropped to her drink. “If something were to be in this drink, you could get me a Poison Bottle pretty quickly,” she said lightly. “At least if I just take a sip now and wait to see if it affects me. And I could taste yours too, make sure yours is okay.”

Be a taste tester for him. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t even anywhere near a solution he wanted. If she got poisoned, or worse... He shook his head and told her, “I think I would prefer it if I tasted my own.” She nodded in return, and breath stopped in his throat again as she took a sip. His eyes widened as she lowered the mug, an odd look on her face. “Judith?!”

”I think we could tell if anything was in this,” she told him sourly. “I forgot just how bad the beer was here.” Without looking away, he watched for any sign of distress. Any sign the beer had been contaminated. After a few minutes, she wrinkled her nose at him, and stuck out her tongue. “I’m fine, Flynn. I’m just regretting taking you here for your first meal on vacation since the drinks taste like this.”

Mollified, Flynn picked up his own beer, and took a sip. As soon as the warm liquid hit his tongue he understood. It tasted bitter, weak, and watery. He had better beer when he was a teenager when Yuri managed to get some on his birthday, and that had been cheap beer Flynn found out later he had stolen. After a moment, his own nerves easing as he realized nothing happened to him, Flynn regarded his mug warily. Did he really want to try to drink the rest of this? He looked up to his companion and- “Judith!”

She lowered her empty mug, wiping the last of the beer she had chugged off her lips with the back of her hand. “If you’re going to drink it, it’s better to get it all down at once and try not to taste it.”

All he could do was look at her, mouth slightly open, shaking his head... then laugh. She was right. He tilted his head back slightly, and let the absolutely poor beer fill his mouth as he gulped it down.

* * *

Light. Sunlight was evil. He should vanquish sunlight. Flynn groaned, pressing his nose further into the pillow as his head and neck protested, a weight over his chest. His bladder spoke up in insistent counterpoint, and his stomach continued the trinity by rolling uneasily. Need for more sleep warred with the desire to use the bathroom, bodily functions winning out. Slowly, he pulled himself from the warmth and stumbled towards the bathroom. It was in a different spot than usual, but it still had everything he needed. His stomach shifted as he pulled his pants back up, scratching a spot on his bare chest as he left, then blinked at the sight in front of him.

One bed.

Probably naked Krityan twisted under those sheets from what he could see.

Memory of beer just unending mugs.

”Oh no,” he moaned, his hands coming up to cover his eyes. Even that was too loud for his head. He had slept with Judith. He had sex with her. Why... she was a friend! He hadn’t even looked at her that way, not like he had looked at Yuri. A female voice, cruel and cutting, rose to his mind and he shivered, repressing that memory for the moment.

”Too loud,” came the answering moan, then a slight whine. “It’s morning, isn’t it.”

Slowly, Flynn lowered his hands, seeing Judith sit up, her hair knotted in every direction. The sheet slipped under her breasts as she stretched and he looked down at the floor, knowing his face was flushed red. “Judith, I-” he started, then realized he didn’t know what to say. Something like this... he looked up as he heard her snort, then blinked as he saw the barely there nightgown.

”Just be glad I cut you off when I did,” she told him mildly. “Yuri never told me you were that aggressive when you were drunk!”

He blanched, the words taking on a meaning he didn’t want in his mind. “I’m sorry, Judith, I didn’t-! I never-!”

”Eh, he wasn’t that big anyway,” came the confusing careless words. “We could have taken him. That is, if you weren’t so close to falling down drunk.

”Excuse me?” That didn’t sound like...

She let a sly smile rest on her lips. “You drank yourself stupid, nearly got in a bar fight, puked on your shirt which is why you’re only in your pants, and made a very good pillow all night. I say you had a good first day to your vacation, don’t you?”

Flynn looked down at his pants, then over at the wad that would be the said shirt, and let his aching head fall back into his hands.

* * *

This was starting to become a trend. At least the last three inns they had stayed in, Flynn hadn’t woken up with the giant headache brought on by large amounts of alcohol. Actually, he realized, he hadn’t drank nearly as much as he had that first night. But he still found himself having moved out of his own bed during the night and woke with his face buried in Judith’s impressive cleavage. Without the alcohol, at least he had a slight fuzzy memory of crawling into her bed.

The strange thing was, whenever he slept in her arms, he didn’t wake in the throes of a violent nightmare. Certainly, there were times he bolted upright, terrified by what his mind had created, but he never found himself so lost in it that he lashed out at her. Today, he slowly sat up, looking down at her. The relaxed peaceful look on her face was deceptive. Flynn knew she could snap awake at a moment’s notice, ready to fight. Old habits were hard to break, after all. But right now, she looked like any other woman, lost to dreams. His fingers traced the line of her cheekbone, then pulled his hand back. He didn’t want to accidentally wake her.

The food at this inn wasn’t exactly the best. It wasn’t the worst they had tried - Flynn shuddered as he remembered the overly tasteful slop that had cramped his gut for days - but it made him want to move on to the next town Judith had in mind. After relieving himself and washing up, he frowned, thinking. He was... actually not looking forward to returning to Zaphias. The first few days that was all he could think about, what kind of trouble they were getting into, how he had to return. But now, he wanted to continue on with what he was doing. Continue having fun with Judith, finding little new towns that guilds had helped set up. That guilds helped defend when the kingdom wouldn’t because they couldn’t pay for it. He saw how Judith traded with them, free lodgings and food for the debt they owed Brave Vesperia when they couldn’t afford to pay them. He knew they took on paying jobs, after all, they could pay the rent on their building and pay their people, but he never realized how they would help those would needed it even if they couldn’t pay with Gald. How they would keep the books balanced that way. And Judith would never let them give more than they owed, paying if she knew they had already satisfied their debt. He smiled to himself about that as he returned to their room, then averted his eyes with scarlet cheeks as he caught her in the middle of a languid stretch.

”Good morning,” came her sleepy purr. “So I noticed you didn’t sleep in your own bed tonight. You know, we’d save a lot if we got rooms with one bed since you don’t seem to be using the other one.”

His ears had to be red by now. “I’m sorry for waking you,” he started before she shook her head.

”I woke up before you.” Judith slipped out of bed, long legs unfolding gracefully from under the blanket. “I was wondering when you were going to wake up. You’re pretty warm,” she teased as she walked over to him, a finger stroking under his chin.

Words stopped in his head, and Flynn just stood there, still. Her finger was still warm from the bed. Suddenly, she dropped her hand, grabbing her clothes. “Don’t wait for me,” she said airily. “I’m not hungry this morning and that bed wasn’t that comfortable even before I got my usual bedmate. I’m going to soak as long as I can before we leave.”

The warm glow of the morning seemed to center on the spot her finger touched. Even after Judith had left, he stood there until snapping himself out of it, wondering what had possessed them this morning. It wasn’t... anything special, was it? Just some teasing, which she did constantly. And she wasn’t shy with her touches. That one was just because he was still waking up, that’s all.

The dining area had no one in it. Flynn frowned, reaching for his sword. That was something Judith wouldn’t argue about, as he caught her with her polearm while dining often enough. He was glad for it, as all his mental alarms were going off. There wasn’t even anyone there to serve, no one to bring out food. No one to check guests in or out. The only sound was steel clearing his sheath as Flynn moved towards the door, holding his sword up in preparation.

The grief-filled wail almost wasn’t a surprise. The sudden burst of chatter as he flung the door open to the sight of the villagers backs was, coming to a halt as he blinked. Something had happened, not what he had expected but he couldn’t rule out something that he had to address. Flynn sheathed his sword again, moving to press through the crowd. It was harder than he thought, everyone trying to get a look at what had happened. He wasn’t about to make a path using his rank, though. The point of the vacation was to get away from that.

When he could finally see what had created the fuss, his heart lurched in his chest. A woman bent over a corpse, bloated and waterlogged. It hurt to see her, a widow or a lover so dearly tied to someone that had drowned. It wasn’t- it wasn’t that long ago that he thought he had lost Yuri for good. That he was dead and gone for good, and the grief he had after Zaude reflected in the woman’s tears. He had to at least say something to her.

”Another suicide,” he heard a woman say grimly by his side. “What is this, the third in two months? The men here must be cursed.”

Suicide? That made him stop, curious. That wasn’t unheard of anywhere he went, but so many in such a small village in so short a time? Flynn started to turn towards them, intent on getting more when he heard another woman talk to the first.

”At least the death was drowning again! Could you imagine dying like Olaf did last week?” He could see the one talking, a sturdy built young woman, perfect for the hard work she would have to encounter here. She shuddered, shifting her basket. “Ripped to shreds like that. And so little blood! Still keeps me up at night.”

Flynn stopped, paralyzed. There was only one thing he knew of that did that. Only one person that had done just that six months ago. One person he had lost track of as he hunted who had created the fiasco in Zaphias.

_Yuri..._


	3. Chapter 3

That feeling. Shock, numbness, pain... it almost felt like when he saw Yuri’s body fall from Zaude, when he saw the dagger lay between him and Sodia, when he saw Yuri’s mouth stained with wolf blood-

_Yuri, what are you doing here? Why are you here?_ Flynn looked down, a thin hot streak of surprise racing through his veins as he noticed his fists clenched tightly. Slowly, he drew in a deep breath and forced his hands to relax. A part of him wanted to give Yuri the benefit of a doubt - there really was no reason for him to be here. If he was still hunting Catherine, there had been no reports of the dark haired seductress anywhere in this area. But the logical part, the part of him he had failed to listen to the first time around, reminded him there really wasn’t anything like the attacks pulled off by an undying bloodsucking corpse. And since Yuri was the only one he knew of, thanks to Sodia... Flynn took in a deep breath, not quite expecting the stab of pain and betrayal at the thought. No matter how much he missed Sodia, he couldn’t deny that one murder.

Gradually, he became aware of someone on the edge of his vision, white clothing with long expanses of skin, long blue antennae and upswept purple hair. He blinked a few times, his eyes turning slightly, then his entire head when he felt Judith’s soft touch on his arm. “Hey,” came her voice, just as gentle as her voice.

”Yuri,” he told her, the word slipping unbidden from numb lips. Her eyebrows swept towards her hairline, and Flynn remembered Judith had never actually seen Yuri when Zaphias was in upheaval. Not to mention a drowned man had no relation to the bodies torn to shreds from before. “Another death, before we came here. He was ripped apart, and there was almost no blood. I haven’t found anything else that kills like that and leaves so little blood.”

Her hand flattened against his arm as he realized how urgent his voice was. “Flynn,” Judith started, her body shifting around him. To shield him from the body, he realized. To make him not see it, not think about dead bodies and solving what had happened. “You’re not on duty right now. This literally isn’t your problem.” She didn’t address Yuri; she probably didn’t believe him. Or didn’t think Yuri would be here either. “Let them deal with it, and if they want help, they can ask someone properly. We’re on vacation.”

Flynn reached up, his hand covering hers. “I can’t just let these people get hurt. And if this is Yuri-” He took a deep breath, looking her directly in the eyes. “If it’s Yuri, I can’t let him continue like this. He killed someone back in Zaphias.” He tilted his neck, her eyes instantly dropping to the mound of scars lining his throat. “He could have killed me. As it is, he’s already proven he’s a threat to others, and is killing without cause. If we leave, we could lose him, or these people could end up in more danger.”

Judith looked around, her face blank. But not unreadable, Flynn realized. He could see her thoughts flickering behind her eyes, watching the villagers disperse from the scene now that they knew it was just a suicide by drowning. He could see when they slipped to the past, remembering old events. Remembering how Flynn almost died, Catherine almost succeeding in assassinating him until Yuri and Estellise interrupted her, the control Estellise had in her own mind- She turned back to him, a decision made. “We have been traveling at a fast pace. Ba’ul needs a rest.”

Flynn smiled weakly at her, nodding. Even if she didn’t exactly believe him, she agreed. She- had faith in him. “We should start in the woods. If it’s like last time, he’ll be less active during the day and spend most of his time outside city borders.”

She just nodded once, then frowned at him. Flynn frowned back, opening his mouth when she leaned into his face, studying him carefully. Concern crossed her mien, then, deliberately, “You didn’t eat breakfast.”

Nonplussed, he stepped back, spluttering and his face hot. “I don’t see how that relates to our current situation!”

Judith tapped his nose with a long finger. “It relates perfectly. You’re going to be grumpy if you don’t eat, and if you’re grumpy you won’t perform well. So go get something to eat and we’ll head out.”

A sneeze built as he stepped back, and Flynn wrinkled his nose to try to keep it in, to not get it all over her. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he started before she tapped his nose again, dislodging the sneeze. “Damn it, Judith!”

”Now,” came the mild response, and Flynn grumbled, stepping around her back to the inn. Out of the corner of his eyes, a flash of red gold made him stop, gone when he turned his head. Flynn scanned the crowd milling around their normal business, almost hoping he was right before he felt Judith’s hand between his shoulders.

”I’m going,” he told her, voice distracted as his eyes darted around. No... no one with that shade of hair anywhere. He was just missing Sodia too much, that’s all.

* * *

It might have been a little too generous to call it a forest. The trees were sparsely placed about, and barely any shrubs. Anyone hiding here should have been easy to find, revealed by the lack of cover. It was maddening to find that wasn’t true, and the only things he and Judith had found were animals and monsters. Judith wiped a spray of blood off her forehead as she leaned casually, the butt of her spear against the ground. “If we’re going to fight, at least have monsters that are a challenge.”

He eyed her, watching the boredom cross her face. There had been nothing, wasting her time. Wasting the vacation time they had set aside. ”I’m sorry, Judith,” Flynn told her, looking around. There was still something out there, something watching. But where, in such sparse cover? “I’ll keep looking, if you wish to return to the village-”

”That sounds lovely,” she interrupted him, and bent down as she shoved her shoulder into his torso, wrapping her arms around his legs, and grunted as she lifted him over her shoulder. “Let’s return, and _you_ get some _rest_ like this vacation is supposed to do for you.”

Without thinking, he broke out of her grasp, hitting the ground at a roll and half reaching for his sword before he realized what he was doing. She only stood there, watching him warily, waiting for him to make the next move. But her grip on her polearm, he noticed- that was not casual at all. Slowly, his hand relaxed, the one on the sheath slipping away as his right dropped back to his side with the motion of him standing. “I apologize.” His gaze turned away from her, knowing his cheeks were blazing red. All that work relaxing, all the work healing, destroyed. “That- that was not called for, not for the simple act of you picking me up.”

Her hand on his cheek made him jump, but Flynn only looked at her. The sun shining high filtered through the little coverage in a way that created unique shadows across her hair and skin. Worry covered her face, little changes he wouldn’t have noticed before. The silence held the two of them together, glued her hand to his face, his arms to his sides. He wanted to say something, but- what could he say to her? What could he do? The touch on his cheek shifted as she leaned in, and his mouth opened, a slightly click escaping his mouth as his tongue dislodged from the roof of his mouth. The sound stopped her, then Judith slipped back, her face guarded once more. “Don’t stay out too long,” she told him breezily, turning away easily. She slipped away quickly as he watched her leave, his hands shaking. He kept losing something here. Flynn closed his eyes, frustrated at that thought. He could feel something just on the edge of his awareness, something important, but he kept losing it. Just when he thought he had it, she would slip away, taking his thoughts with her. Why was this woman so frustrating, why did he-

No. Flynn shook his head, trying to throw the thoughts out of his mind. He had a job to do. He knew Yuri was in these woods somewhere. He knew- what could he do? Talking to him didn’t seem to work. If he took him in, Yuri seemed stronger than before, not to mention officially he was listed as dead. It would open the door for more deaths if he had gone feral again. The only way would be what one would do with any feral animal. The thought of killing Yuri for good made him queasy and his heart lurch. He- couldn’t. Flynn pressed his lips together, heading deeper into the woods. One more hour. If he didn’t find anything by the time the sun started to set, then he’d return.

After half an hour, that seemed like the true possibility. Not even monsters could be found anymore, only woodland creatures. Flynn wiped the sweat off his forehead as he looked around, thinking. He could hear a river nearby. The one the suicide had happened at? It might be worth looking at, if so many had happened there. It could be possible it was just a string of accidents caused by how the land was shaped. He started in the direction he heard the rushing water, then stopped, looking up. That feeling, the one of someone watching him. It was back, stronger than before.

The rustling of the trees stopped once he did, his hand going to his sword as he realized how little wind there was. Then a little further up, it started again. Of course, he had forgotten to look up. That Yuri had enjoyed climbing even while alive, and he could be stalking him right now from up there. Steel scraped leather as he pulled his sword free, listening as the sound started to move away from him. There was something up there, moving steadily through the trees. And- yes, faster now. Flynn sprang into action after it, something telling him it was running from something. From him. Logical thought babbled in the back of his head, trying to get him to stop as he chased whatever was fleeing. He had to catch it, find it- then a gasp, light and feminine, and a splash caught his attention. Flynn pushed himself into a sprint, the image of a maid’s throat ripped to ribbons coming to the fore of his memory. The river was just ahead, if he was fast enough he could stop-

Silver. That was the first thing he could see, a swirl of silver floating around a youthful face. Then pale, almost white legs trailing off the bank, modesty barely covered by a white tunic with half her body in the water. She was breathing, a band of tension releasing around his chest as he heard her groan. But he could see the rend in her fabric, stained red by the deep wound across her chest and arm. Slowly, light lashes lifted, showing ice blue eyes. She was, Flynn realized uneasily, almost colorless except for the blood. With pained motions, she tried to push herself up, and only managed to shift further into the water. He stepped closer to her, fingers fumbling for an Apple Gel. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he told her, voice pitched low and soothing. “I’m here to help. You need to be still. Can you swallow an Apple Gel right now?”

”Who...?” The word was forced out, as if her lips were not made for the word. Her eyes darted about, trying to focus on what she heard. Flynn forced down the instinct to touch her, something telling him she would not take it well, that she was more dangerous than she appeared. Finally, the ice landed on him, and her breathing quickened. Her arms slid under her, slipping as she tried to get away from him before she fell further into the water, her head dunking under before Flynn scooped her out. “D-don’t-”

”I won’t harm you. I have an Apple Gel for your wound.” Flynn pressed it into her hand, and her fingers fumbled around it for a moment before she finally got a hold on it and she lifted the mangled Gel to her line of sight. She looked at it as if she had never seen one before, distrust in every part of her, and he wondered what had happened to her. He hadn’t seen any head injuries, and after what had happened half a year ago he remembered how they influenced how the mind worked at the moment. “It’s a healing item. If you eat it, your wound will close.”

Slowly, she put the Gel to her lips, licking it. Was this how he looked, the distrust he had for everything? It hurt him to see, and how she wolfed down the Apple Gel once she was certain it was safe. No wonder Estellise and Judith were so worried about him. The gash started to close, enough that the blood loss stopped, and he let out a breath. “There’s a village nearby,” he started to tell her before he lost his grip, her limbs thrashing with all her strength.

”No!” She submerged again, and Flynn lifted her up, worried her wound had reopened. “No. Not there.” Her eyes held fear as she looked up at him as she thrashed more, and a small worm of sympathy inched in. What had happened that she was afraid to go to the village? She started to fall limp in his arms, exhaustion closing her eyes. He did need to get someone - there was little he could do alone, like this - but her fear of the village could ruin any help he would get. Another Gel would speed her healing, but the blood loss coupled with whatever was in the water with the fact she was awfully cold with wet hair would negate that. But he really had little choice. Slowly, he lifted her out of the water and set her carefully in brush near the river. Her hand gripped his shoulder as her back touched dirt, ice eyes opening. “Still there,” she whimpered. “Still hunting.”

And the world stopped. Hunting. Something was hunting her. “What did it look like?” Flynn managed to choke out, and her head rolled slightly.

”Dark hair. Fast.” Her voice faded as her arm dropped, sleep invading every part of her. “Hungry.”

Yuri. He was here. Hunting people, people who couldn’t fight back. Slowly, Flynn let her go, sleep letting him do so. Her lips easily took another Apple Gel as she slept, easing his mind. If he could get her safe, she could be out of his mind while he finished what he should have done six months ago. Unbidden, a hand brushed his throat, across the scars, and the familiar painful sharp pleasure scraped through his veins. No, he couldn’t- that night was a mistake. Carefully, he marked a nearby tree so he would know where she was hidden and started back to town. Hopefully there would be someone there she didn’t know willing to help her.

Hopefully she wouldn’t be another casualty at Yuri’s hands.


	4. Chapter 4

“Nope.” Flynn felt his hands tightening into fists as the doctor looked at him as if he was crazy, putting her bag back on the table. “When you said there was a hurt girl, I didn’t figure you meant out there in those woods. I’m not going out there, not for any girl you think you saw.”

”She needs medical attention and she’s hysterical about the idea of coming to town,” he argued. “Some- thing sliced open her chest, and while a Gel healed her, she doesn’t look like she’s doing well. I would rather someone see her on her own terms instead of stress her further by taking her to a location that causes her mental distress.”

If the doctor noticed his pause in what attacked her, she didn’t say anything. “And what you found wasn’t a girl. Now get out. No one with half a brain isn’t going to go out there.”

Nothing the doctor said made sense. What could she mean, she wasn’t a girl? “She definitely looks real enough. And she needed help.”

”Look, anytime someone says they found a girl in those woods, they come back dazed and weak, men and women alike, or we find the man’s body drowned a few days later. You’ve already seen the drowned one.” The doctor snapped her bag shut, looking at him. “You’re better off forgetting this one. Besides, you spend too much time out there, you might get ripped apart too. Miracle that one woman’s been running packages and is still alive.”

Flynn blinked. The dazed and weak sounded a bit familiar, a soldier stumbling from a woman’s chambers with unseeing eyes. But that woman showed off more. She had lived in the lap of luxury, around nobility and insinuated herself next to the princess herself. The whole town itself... “Why haven’t you let the Imperial Knights know?” he asked quietly, trying to keep his voice even. Yuri, Catherine, the drownings, something like this Ioder would definitely listen to. He had lived those events six months ago.

”Mayor did. Our request was laughed as soon as it was gotten.” The doctor stood suddenly, her tiny frame seemingly towering over him. “Look, I know who you are. Not exactly hiding it well, Commandant Scifo. But there’s nothing you can do here. And if you believe what’s going on here, you’re the only one. So just ignore what you saw, take your girlfriend, and go back to Zaphias. We take care of our own here.”

”But-” Flynn took a breath as she walked calmly by him, fighting the urge to grab her and shake her. It was true, he hadn’t heard a single request about a town besieged by something ripping the people apart, or odd drownings. Anyone in Zaphias would have passed it on after the bodies found there, remembering how much it took to make them stop. Ioder would have definitely been interested in finding Yuri, and Flynn himself would have believed every bit of it. But first it would have to make it to Zaphias, unfortunately. He turned, knowing she had already left, and just looked out the door. These were people he had wanted to protect. People that Yuri himself had sworn at some point to protect. And when it came time, their pleas didn’t even reach his ears. Something like that... Flynn’s lips tightened. He would have to change that. Even if it sounded completely unrealistic, no one needed to have their requests laughed at. It needed to make it to authority that could make the proper decision, and then decided from there. A flash hit him, that he could start that. The bones were there...

Footsteps made him raise his head, then a soft smile settled on his lips as a familiar Krityan came into view. “Judith. I apologize, it took me a while to get back.”

She only walked up, looking him over with worried eyes. “I never expected to see you here first,” came the light response, trying to balance her check. “Last place I would expect to see Flynn Scifo after fighting monsters that weak.” Judith smiled, realizing he was unharmed, and poked his chest.

Flynn laughed a little at her, grabbing her finger. “Never. Actually... Judith, how good are your medical skills?”

An unreadable look closed off her face as she tilted her head. “Is it related to why you were here?”

”Yes. There’s-” He let out a breath, frustrated at the memory of what he heard. “There’s a girl I found. I think she- she was attacked by Yuri. She said it had dark hair, was hungry, and fast.” The look in her eyes tightened his hand, making it shift to pain. He looked down, shifting his grip from her finger to her hand. “An Apple Gel closed her wounds, but she needs to be looked at. I would have brought her directly here, but she resisted the idea so violently I was afraid of causing her more harm.

She gave him an odd look, but didn’t follow through on it. “Flynn, do you just want to see Yuri that badly?”

”It’s not that!” Flynn let her hand go, raking a hand through his hair. “It’s not that. If it’s him... he’s acting like a rabid animal right now. These people...” He made a gesture, sharp and helpless. “I made a vow to protect these people. Even if it means from him. And I need to do all I can for my people, and that includes those that have been attacked by...”

”Someone you love?” Judith reached up with her hand, brushing back a bit of hair away from his face. “Can you kill him if you need to, Flynn?”

The oddly gentle question made him pause, as well as the way she completed his trailed off sentence. He felt a part of him screaming, to forget what she had said. Knowing that would only get him killed. But... his hand rose, biting back a gasp as nails raked through the inside of his veins at the touch on his scars, barely on the pleasurable side. “I have to,” he told her, watching how her eyes fell to the way he touched his scars, then back at his face. Long fingers traced his hairline, dancing around his skin as she looked at him. Flynn found his hand leaving his neck, brushing across her cheek and a bit of her lengthened ear. He didn’t want to kill Yuri. But with how he was going, with the people he was putting in danger, the fact he was already dead... Judith didn’t exactly understand, hadn’t seen him yet herself, but she knew what it meant to have to choose. He felt his lips fall open as she leaned in, feeling her breath against his face. “Judith...”

”We should go.” Her fingers dropped from his skin, the unknowable tension between them starting to fade. “Take care of that girl.” She smiled at him, one leg sweeping back to step when he moved his hand to the back of her head, tilting to press his lips against hers. When Flynn slowly pulled back, she looked at him for a moment, studying him. “Are you sure?”

”We can talk about this later.” His hand slowly fell, stroking down her arm. “But for right now, yes.”

Something crossed her face, uncertain and hidden. But she nodded, reaching for her polearm. “Well, lead the way. I should be able to at least help you keep her from hurting herself so we can get her back here.”

* * *

Dinner had been served by the time they returned, empty handed. Flynn had found the river easily, even found the tree he had marked, but where he had hidden the girl was empty. Not even a sign of a struggle showed, just broken branches from the concealing brush. It had been frustrating, and while Judith didn’t say anything the entire trip back, Flynn felt humiliated about leading her on a fruitless trip. He spooned a bit of stew into his mouth as he thought back on it, frustrated. If the doctor had been right, and he hadn’t seen an actual girl, it changed things. It turned this town into a danger zone, much like how Zaphias had been while Catherine had been there, another unnatural creature picking off its people. But if she had been real, she was so intent on not being seen she put herself into the possibility of dying. His hand was halfway to his sword when an arm entered his field of vision before he stopped, realizing it was only the serving girl. Her eyes darted between them, lingering on Judith with a slight blush as she took away her empty bowl.

”You’re tense again,” Judith noted after she left, her voice low and only carrying between them. “We can eat in our room, since there are so many people here.”

”No.” Flynn dropped his spoon, his eyes caught on her intently. “I know what you’re offering, Judith, and I’m fine. I was only caught up in my thoughts, that’s all.”

”You nearly unsheathed your sword.”

The words crawled along his skin, making his hands twitch. She was right. Flynn looked around the room, at the quiet conversation from the other patrons, then back at her. No one outside of the palace knew about how the events had affected him. And if the doctor was any indication, they all knew he was the Commandant. Showing just how broken he was out here... Flynn pushed away from the table, standing. “I hate how right you are, sometimes.”

”I know.” Judith stood as well, catching eyes as she stretched. She followed behind him, her presence almost watching his back for threats at they went to their room. It relaxed him more than he thought, making it easier when he felt her hand on his shoulder. “Flynn.”

”The doctor said she wasn’t a girl.” Her hand didn’t move, but he could feel her tense, coming to her own conclusions. “People who saw her and went to the woods ended up murdered, drained, or drowned. If she is a girl, she’s badly hurt.”

”If she’s not, she’s hunting this town.” Flynn turned to her, watching as the hand moved from his shoulder to her chin, her eyes glancing away. Thoughts moved across her eyes, nearly hidden. He wanted to reach out, touch her, ask her to share, but as he did she lowered her hand. “It’s not your problem, Flynn.”

The words hit him, making his blood beat hard against his fingertips. “I made a promise to keep this people safe,” he told her heatedly as her chin rose in defiance. “And I am not about to break that promise. This is my problem, and I will either-”

”Let Brave Vesperia take care of it and stop trying to take care of everything yourself!” The raw emotion from such a calm woman stopped him, making his lips part a little. Judith leaned in, the anger clear in every part of her. “You don’t talk to anyone and try to care care of what happened to you yourself. I had to drag it out of you, and prove I would listen. You take on everything with the Imperial Knights and don’t keep a steady Second-in-Command you can delegate tasks to. And now you’re trying to take on this task, trying to solve this and keep them safe instead of giving it to someone already established here. You can’t change everything by yourself, and you sure as hell can’t keep closing yourself off because you don’t want to trouble us!” Her hands caught into fists, something keeping her from introducing it into his face. “Do you really think we don’t care about you? That we don’t want to see you happy? That I don’t want to see you drinking yourself into a fucking stupor every night I’m there because you’re trying to fill something in your life and forget what’s happened and it’s not working?”

”I know that, Judith!” Flynn grabbed her, pulling her close. “Do you think I keep it from you because I hate you? Because I don’t trust you? Judith, you and Estellise are the only ones I trust that won’t laugh at me about what’s happened. You’re the only one that’ll understand why my dates end the way they do, why I don’t look at them like how they want me to.” He laughed, pressing his forehead against hers. “I want to trust them,” he told her helplessly. “But I’ve been nearly killed by my own men several times as we’ve broken Catherine’s control, and we still don’t know if it’s all taken care of. They’ve tried to kill Ioder more times than that. It’s hard, Judith. I want to trust them like I trust you. I don’t want this, to take on everything.” His head lifted, eyes meeting hers. “If Zaude had ended differently, even if it was just after Sodia stabbed him, Yuri didn’t die, this-”

Her lips covered his, breaking off the words with gentleness. Hands brushed through his hair as she stepped closer, soothing him with touch, presence, feeling. Flynn closed his eyes, his hands lowering to her hips. This... this was good. Why hadn’t anyone else done this while kissing him? Her lips slowly closed as she pulled back, her hands featherlight against his neck. “Your friends are trying to give you people you can trust,” she told him softly. “You have to trust us, in our judgment. I’ll always be here, to listen, but trust in Estelle. Trust in Ioder. Trust in us that you’ll be safe now.”

His hands twitched on her hips, the acknowledgment that they were friends warming him. That was it, wasn’t it? None of the others, none of his dates wanted to be his friend. Yuri, Judith... first and always, they were his friends. Her lips parted again as he kissed her, his hands sweeping up her torso. As they reached her chest, moving to cup a breast, her hand reached down and grabbed it as she broke the kiss. “Flynn.”

”I don’t know what we have, Judith,” he told her honestly, his hand flexing in her stern grip. “But I want to do this for you. You... I’ve felt something happening all through this trip. I know it’s something you want.”

”It’s not something you want.” Judith stepped back, releasing his hand as she did so. “I’ve felt it too, and I didn’t want to put you in this position. I’ve heard it often enough. How your dates wanted you to have sex with them. How you didn’t even think of them like that. I’ve even overheard people talk about that bitch Nadia and what she said to you. You aren’t broken, no matter what she said. And I’m not about to make you think you have to do it to make this happen or keep our friendship going. If I want to be fucked and it doesn’t bother you, I can do downstairs right now and ask that serving girl if she doesn’t want to spend her night alone or a guy at the bar if he wants the best night of his life. That isn’t what I want from you. Okay?”

Flynn closed his mouth, unable to say anything. How could he, when this was the first time anyone had told him that? Finally, “You were interested in our serving girl?”

She laughed. “If the fact I’m interested in men and women alike is the only surprising thing from that, I think we’ll be okay.” She ran a hand through his hair as his cheeks started to burn. “Get some rest, Flynn. We’ll stop by Dahngrest tomorrow and drop off the request, and then get you back home. We can figure out the rest as it comes along, right?”

Flynn nodded, leaning a little into Judith’s touch as her fingers continued combing through his hair. “That sounds good. Judith...?”

”Hm?”

”Thank you.”

* * *

Moonlight pried his eyes open. No matter how attractive it sounded, Flynn couldn’t sleep at the thought of just handing the problem over to Brave Vesperia. It would help a lot to have Karol’s assistance, but he couldn’t just leave them here. He couldn’t just let them see the Commandant leave them in their hour of need. If he stayed, tried to help out while Judith went and got her guild, that would work. And it would show cooperation as well, between himself and the guilds. Not to mention the thought that the girl might be real, and might be close to death wouldn’t let him go. Flynn slowly pulled himself from Judith’s arms, trying to make as little noise as possible as he dressed and left. He didn’t buckle his sword until he left the inn, but he knew better than to leave it behind. If Yuri, if Catherine, if the girl was like any of them, he would need it more than against the weak monsters he would encounter

Despite the night-chilled air, he had worked up a sweat by the time he reached the river. Monsters seemed to increase at night, and though they were still weak, the sheer number started to wear on him. He entertained the idea of dunking his head in and taking a drink as he turned towards the river, then stopped. Sitting by the river, wet hair shining in the moonlight, was the girl. Her legs slowly gathered under her as she stood, not quite steady yet, and she looked around. She was still so pale, but she looked better. More animated. Her movements stilled as she saw him, one hand moving to where it looked she had a weapon hidden.

”I won’t harm you.” Flynn raised his hands, stepping into the open. “I only wanted to check up on you. You look better.”

”You are... the one that helped me.” Just as it had been, the words forced out of her lips as if she wasn’t meant to speak in such tongues. “You gave me that Gel, made me feel better. Thank you.” Her arm relaxed, a small smile crossing her face. “It’s all better now.”

”That’s good to hear.” He didn’t come closer, only watched her warily. She stepped into the river, then turned to him. “You shouldn’t do that. The water’s cold and you’re still recovering.”

”Cold is good.” She lifted a leg slightly as she spun, a smile crossing her face. “Keeps me awake, keeps me from sleeping when things hunt. You scared off the hungry thing. That’s good. It hunts me, hunts others here.”

Breath stopped in his chest as he took in the words. So something was hunting this town. “What is your name?” he asked gently, watching her tilt her head. She was so childlike, almost as if something was wrong with her. Maybe that was why they didn’t call her a girl... maybe that’s why she didn’t want to be seen. She blinked at him, then smiled.

”Liliya.” Water splashed around her feet as she came closer, icy eyes large and searching. “You look sad. Something hurting.”

Flynn took a step back. How had she...? “I’m fine. I’m only worried about you. You should get some professional medical help, back at the village-”

Liliya’s hand touched his cheek suddenly. “It hurts. You don’t forgive yourself. Not for what happened, both times. You don’t forgive yourself for what you’ve done.” Flynn tried to pull away, his hand going to his sword in alarm as what she said told him she wasn’t human, she wasn’t what she thought she was, before she grabbed him in that unnatural grip he knew so well. “Let me show you that you can forgive yourself,” she breathed, her face leaning in close. The scent of water filled his nose as he felt her lips against his, his head felt light-

And nothing but darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

The sensation of hands on the center of his chest, shoving down rhythmically, brought him back to himself. His stomach heaved as he tried to take in a breath, and water spilled from his lips, coughing as he was turned onto his side. Slowly, Flynn sat up, wiping his mouth as he looked around.

He could see the river nearby. If the state of his clothes and hair was any indication, after what had happened (what had happened? The memory came up fuzzy, as if in a dream. He could remember a girl, a name-) he had fallen into the water. Someone must have found him. Flynn took a breath, intending to thank the kind person who had helped him, and proceeded to cough more.

“Sir, you should take it easy,” an achingly familiar female voice said quietly, a hand pressing between his shoulders. “Don’t try to speak yet. Just get used to breathing again.”

Slowly, Flynn lowered his hand from his mouth, and looked over at her. Copper hair shone in the rising sun, longer than he usually saw over Sodia’s face. The no-nonsense demeanor he had missed about her, the way she took control of situations that needed help when he was unavailable, the kindness she could have- “You’ve been running the packages here,” he rasped, wonder in his voice. “You’re who the doctor was talking about. Sodia, I-”

“ _Sir._ ” Her voice was firm as her eyes sharpened. “You just drowned. You weren’t breathing, and I couldn’t find a pulse. _Stop talking._ ”

And there it was. Flynn snapped his mouth shut, looking at her with a bit of surprise and more longing to have that lack of awe by his side again. Instead, he looked back at his hands, slowly flexing them. He expected to feel weaker than he did, but he felt- he felt like someone had cast a First Aid on him. He felt like he could fight a dozen monsters, and run miles. The feeling of water still burned through his chest, but he felt amazing. Flynn stood, heedless of the sharp “Sir, sit down,” and took a deep breath as he looked around. Things felt... different. He looked over at Sodia as she stood, her eyes wary. “Thank you,” he told her quietly. You’ve always watched my back, haven’t you?”

Sodia hesitated, her mind twitched towards old events that had started her break from the Knights to begin with. “Someone has to,” she finally said. “Sir, you’re still weak. Let me-”

He waved her off, taking a step towards the river. “I’m not weak,” he told her, tilting his head up. It was a beautiful morning, how hadn’t he seen that? “I feel... great.” He looked at her, at the frown crossing her features. Why she had to leave, he understood. Even Flynn was still angry about her killing Yuri, about how her actions had set up the events six months ago. But still... something in him wanting to take her hand. To tell her she had been his best second-in-command.

”Sir, did you meet anyone last night?” Sodia’s face held as much caution as her words. “Anyone that may have promised you something?”

Flynn hesitated. Every time he tried to hold onto it, the memory of what happened slipped further away. Only a name remained, but where had he heard it? A colorless girl, but had he met her last night? He remembered her from earlier, but- why was he here? Sodia’s eyes narrowed at the hesitation, leaning in. “A girl?” she prompted, making Flynn open his mouth, trying to remember. “A girl, who seemed like an angel?”

He relaxed. No. The girl had been injured, helpless, almost as if her thoughts had been interrupted by the wounds, but not angelic. Not in the least. “No,” he told her firmly. “I didn’t meet anyone like that.”

Doubt didn’t clear from Sodia’s face, but she stepped back. “We should start back to town, Sir. You might feel well, but you still weren’t breathing when I found you.” Her hand took his elbow, leading him away from the river. For a moment, he hesitated, then turned away from the water. There was nothing for him there, right? And Judith would be wondering where he was.

Judith. The good feeling inside him started to falter as he remembered. He had left her bed in the middle of the night. She must be worried- he would have to apologize to her when they got back. His fingers pressed against his lips, and a small smile crossed his face. Why had it taken him so long to start trusting her? To consider her a friend? A thought flit across his mind, something about Yuri, about a woman, but it didn’t matter so much.

He felt... good.

”Sir.” Sodia’s voice held caution as she spoke, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. “You seem in better spirits than the last time I saw you.”

Better spirits. He did feel good, but overall...? The vacation seemed to have done its job. Stress was still back in Zaphias, he knew that. Everything he had left was still there. But now it felt... manageable. Like he could go back and handle it. That he could return and find a second-in-command that he worked with as well as Sodia. “It’s been a rough six months,” he admitted. “I haven’t found someone I work with as well as I did with you. But... it feels as if it will get better. It’s good to see you, to know you still have a living.”

Sodia’s mouth opened, then closed in frustration. “Sir-”

”How long have you been helping them?” It had been too long since he had seen her. Knowing how she was doing... it felt right.

It made her pause, look over at him. “A few weeks. I’ve been... the way people have been dying made me suspicious. I’ve been trying to pin down why. There have been a few clues, similar ones to Zaphias, but not enough to explain the drownings. And given how many there have been, I am certain someone is drowning them, that it’s not suicide.” She stopped there, something in her eyes weighing choices. “They’ve all talked about an angel,” Sodia finally told him. “A girl that sounded too good to be true. Are you sure you met no one there?”

”I’m certain.” No matter what had happened, he hadn’t met an angel. “You’ve been helping them with other things too?”

A light blush crossed her face, as if she had been called out on something she shouldn’t have done. “They needed someone to run a package,” Sodia started, in a tone trying to defend herself. “And none of them were strong enough to face those monsters. I couldn’t let them-”

”I wasn’t judging you.” Flynn smiled at her. “It’s what I expected from you. I’m glad, Sodia. You’ve always helped people when they needed it.”

Her mouth closed as she looked away. “Not always,” came the quiet answer, almost to herself.

Perhaps she had meant Yuri, or when he had gotten injured at Zaude, but something about it made his steps pause. “What do you-” Flynn started, breaking off when a rustle of leaves started. It could be birds, but his instincts told him it wasn’t. Too much noise, it was like before. It moved, quickly. Both of them whipped their heads up, hands going for their swords as it passed overhead, the sound of harsh breathing following the noise. Without a word, both of them followed it, weapons drawn. A crash of a body ended the flight, and Flynn came to a stop as he watched it fall.

Dark hair, pulled back into a long braid. A face, burns covering half of it, twisted in pain. Flynn felt his lips twist in a snarl as he watched a dark hand come up to cover a mess of black blood covering the other arm- no. As the arm was shoved back up, he realized it had nearly been torn _off_. One dark eye opened, and Catherine smirked up at the two of them. “Commandant.” Her voice purred in lowborn tones, not even bothering to affect the noble lilt anymore. “Did you bring me a snack? How kind of you.” Her legs gathered under her as she stood, still holding her injured arm as she looked at Sodia, brows knitted in concentration as Sodia’s hand relaxed, her lips parting slightly as her gaze unfocused. Fury exploded in Flynn’s chest as he grabbed Catherine’s shoulder, not even taking pleasure in the pained noise she made as he shoved her back against a tree, his sword coming up to shove into her stomach.

The scream that escaped her snapped Sodia out of her control, and he could hear her gasp behind him. “Sir, what are you doing?!”

”This is the bitch that tried to kill me,” he growled, shoving Catherine back against the tree as she slumped. “And tried to control Lady Estellise.”

”I did fail in both,” Catherine managed to say, her voice pained. “Now, can you take that damn sword out of my gut before I shove it up your-” She cut off as Flynn twisted his hand, words choking in her throat. “Damn it,” she gurgled, black blood dribbling from her lips before she turned, spitting.

”Give me one good reason not to take your head right here and now,” Flynn growled in her face, ignoring Sodia’s presence at his elbow. Those assassins, the mind control, the guilt on Lady Estellise’s face as Rita parted ways with her after a day together... He nearly pulled his sword out and followed through when she lifted her head, glaring at him.

”I’m hunting the thing hunting this town,” she hissed at him. “And I nearly had it before you and the damned vampire showed up here!”

”Sir, what is she-?” Sodia cut off as Flynn slowly let Catherine’s shoulder go, still keeping the sword in her. “What does she mean by hunting this town? The vampire?”

A demonic smile twisted Catherine’s dark lips as she focused past him. “That’s right, you were about to get your head chopped off the first time I saw you. And then you performed so admirably under my Spinneret’s threads.” An angry flush crossed Sodia’s cheeks at the reminder of her attempted execution, and the blood that had run over her fingers after. “The Commandant never told you? About how- fucking hell, take the sword out!” Her body shifted, legs coming up to kick Flynn away. As the sword slipped out, she fell to her knees in a pained grunt, her head bowing as Flynn staggered to a halt. “I heard who it was you killed,” she finally said, her voice threading through pain. “He never told you, who it was that saved his life, who finally chased me from his room after the princess nearly burned my face off?”

Sodia’s hands trembled, not yet snapping to punch her repeatedly. But Flynn could see it was a thread spun taunt, and each word hit it harder. “And what is your point?”

”Oh, merely that you have your eyes shut tighter than I thought.” Slowly, Catherine straightened, hand over the no longer bleeding wound in her stomach. “There’s something hunting this town. You’ve seen the bodies, I presume?” Without letting them answer, she smiled, an animalistic baring of teeth. “At least some of them look familiar, don’t they, Commandant? You know those intimately.”

The words hit him, the confirmation of who the work of the bodies belonged to. That would mean... Yuri had lost all rationality again. He had become an animal, killing indiscriminately. “It’s not as if you wanted to stop it back in Zaphias,” Flynn growled at her.

An arm lifted, the one that had nearly been torn off, now at least flesh covering over the wound. Her fingers twitched, and she frowned at her hand. “And now I am,” she told him mildly. “I believe, since you seem to always want to do good, that at least means we should not try to kill each other until that’s taken care of.” Her arm lowered again, and she snorted at Sodia’s wide-eyed expression. “My healing is not by far the best of my tricks.” Catherine turned her attention back to Flynn, losing all humor in her expression. “I can only hold one of my knives now, as you can see. If you feel I am a threat... well, you did threaten to take my head.”

”Sir, she’s a threat,” Sodia told him under her breath. Catherine laughed a little, hand going back to her stomach. When Sodia glared at her, she merely smiled in return. “It would be for the best if we kill her now and continue on our way.”

It would be. A part of him clamored for it, hot and loud. But... Flynn lowered his arm, looking at Catherine. “What do you have to gain from this?”

A shadow crossed her face, a pain deeper than the physical wounds across her body. “My own reasons,” she answered simply. “Though, dear girl, you might find it’s harder to kill me if you find me a threat than you think.”

”How did you-” Flynn held up a hand, cutting off Sodia’s words. It wasn’t time for that. Though, considering how not human she was, he had an idea how she had heard that.

”At the first hint of you trying to hurt either of us, I will finish what we started in my room,” he promised. “And given how injured you are, and how you haven’t snacked on me, I will kill you this time.”

She rolled her good eye. “I am aware of that.” Using the tree for support, Catherine slowly stood, her still healing arm hanging uselessly by her side. The fingers twitched occasionally, but otherwise stayed motionless. “Though if you refuse to let me have a little snack, a moment so I’m not so woozy from blood loss would be nice.”

Flynn nodded, then felt Sodia touching his elbow. When he turned his head, she indicated a nearby bush, still probably close enough for Catherine to hear them, but there wouldn’t really be a place not to be heard if they were going to keep an eye on her. “She’s not human,” Sodia muttered as soon as they moved a few paces away, still watching Catherine. “What she did to me, that healing, that hearing... she’s far from human.” For a moment, she paused, then turned slightly to Flynn. “Are you sure about this, Sir? If we let her heal as we find what she’s talking about, then she might be able to stab us in the back first.”

His heart lurched, remembering what it was Catherine had said. “She’s our best bet to find it,” he said carefully, trying not to let slip he knew it was Yuri. If Sodia knew it was him, that he was a walking feral corpse now... “And I recognize that look she had. The one when she answered my question. She has a personal reason not to kill us right now. We can, at least, trust her to find h- it.”

Catherine started slightly, her eye wide at his words. Was it such a surprise that he would at least give some trust back to her? Sodia paused for a moment, then let out a breath. “You shouldn’t trust so easily,” she told him, an old argument as she retrieved her sword, sheathing it before coming to a stop before Catherine. The urge to laugh hit Flynn as he realized just how short Catherine really was as Sodia glared down at her. “I know you heard all of that. And I will not hesitate to kill you if you try to harm him.”

”Such loyalty,” Catherine murmured. “I do wonder how the Commandant managed to inspire such loyalty within a noble brat like you.” She pushed off the tree, staggering a bit as one leg refused to work completely correctly. “Well. Shall we?”


	6. Chapter 6

Even with one leg dragging behind her, somehow Catherine was able to set a pace that nearly pushed Flynn and Sodia to their limits. By the way she would flick her eyes to the trees, it became obvious she wanted to reclaim the height advantage, but how her body hadn’t recovered kept her from doing so. She finally turned her burned side to them, exasperated. “If you two would keep up, this would go much faster.”

”If we knew what we were looking for, it might go faster,” Sodia retorted before Flynn could open his mouth. “All you’ve said is we’re looking for the thing hunting the people of the town, and mention of a vampire. That says nothing to what we’re actually looking for.”

For a moment, there was silence, then she turned fully to them. “A vampire is someone killed violently returned due to deep feelings for someone. They kill. Or at least how this world defines it.” Catherine held up her good hand before either of them could open their mouths. “No stupid questions, please. There is a full unnatural world both of you happened to stumble upon, and the answers you will get won’t make sense until you see it. So don’t tax me with questions that will be answered in time. Once we take care of what is hunting this thing, my business here will be done.”

”And what was your business, Catherine?” That question wasn’t one Flynn knew that would be answered in time. He watched her tilt her time in thought, then a low rich laugh rolled from her lips. Sodia let out a soft moan next to him, then slap her hands over her mouth in mortification.

Catherine smiled at her, white sharpness in a dark face. “Partially relieving boredom after a few decades of behaving myself.” She limped over to Sodia, dark fingers lifting to touch her light skin. Purple eyes sharpened suddenly, grabbing the woman’s wrist before they could brush her cheek. “Impressive, little Knight. I wouldn’t have thought you have any sort of resistance to a fascination.”

Flynn heard a scrape of metal, and felt the weight of a sword in his hand before realizing he had drawn it. “If you don’t want this to end now, I would recommend not antagonizing us any further.” The idea of her subjecting Estellise to not even knowing if actions were her own, of puppeting around people to assassinate not only himself but Ioder merely out of boredom... Need to run her through again, to watch her slowly heal around his blade pressed from inside him, drawing his arm back before she broke Sodia’s grip and stepped back.

Her eye looked over him, narrowing slightly as she did so. “You’ve been rather violent,” came a calm statement, darting her gaze back to Sodia for a moment. “I’m impressed that you can hold onto a grudge for this long.” A grin crossed her face as she turned back around, her knee attempting to bend again as she walked. “It might make a good fight some day. Perhaps when we’re not hunting,” she commented over her shoulder.

Sodia looked over at him, her cheeks still stained red. “Sir, I-”

Flynn shook his head, starting after Catherine. “She drew the entire castle, Lady Estellise included, under her spell.” He broke off as a chuckle rolled from the wounded woman’s lips, his hand shifting its grip on his sword. “And she considered it fun, apparently, to create something we’re still fighting the effects of to this day. I wouldn’t take the blame for this.”

There was an inhalation of breath next to him, Sodia ready to speak, when he realized Catherine had stopped. Her head tilted down and slightly towards him, hair obscuring her expression. “What did you say?”

”Are you denying it?” Flynn retorted, something twisting his lips into words. His shoulders squared as she spun around with blazing eyes, his sword coming up into a guard.

”Of course I don’t fucking deny it!” Her speed took her closer than Flynn was comfortable before Sodia’s sword raised against her throat stopped her. The good hand at her side clenched while her other hand twitched. “But the other part. You’re still fighting the effects. You’re still fighting the fascination.” She shook her head as she stepped back, a helpless laugh trickling from her. “You give me too much credit.”

Sodia kept her sword up as she shifted beside Flynn, moving to a place so they would both have a clear path to their target if it came to it. “And what do you mean by that?” she demanded, biting her lip as Catherine turned her gaze to the other woman.

”What I mean is I am not that powerful.” Another laugh escaped her as she shook her head. “I’m flattered, but whatever is going on is Zaphias not my work anymore.” Her eyes locked with Flynn’s, no humor leaking through. “And is not my concern, before you ask. I have no obligation to help the nobles of your country.”

The way she spat the words held real anger, almost as if her time pretending to be a noble was hateful for her, only there to twist what was happening. Before he could form any questions, Catherine turned, her fist shaking. Her words weren’t needed for her to say they were to keep looking for Yuri, and in silence this time.

A thought tickled at the back of his head, purple hair and a worried voice, overwhelmed by an odd urge to watch Catherine choke on her own black blood.

* * *

Despite the fact the river held a good day’s walk between them and where it lay, Flynn could almost hear it babbling in his ears as darkness fell. Catherine stopped her furious march, leaning up against a tree in exhaustion. “Don’t start a fire,” she warned, trying to flex her ruined hand. For the untold unnerving time, her eyes raked over Flynn, calculating. “That is, unless you want a fight you can’t win.”

”Is that a threat?” Sodia countered. She couldn’t stop the flush rising to her skin when Catherine turned a heated gaze on her, but her steely gaze didn’t waver.

”No.” Ever since her revelation about Zaphias, all her teasing humor had drained from her voice. “I can make it a threat if you disobey. But since I hunted for decades as a career, I recommend you listen to me.” Her head tilted up, nose flaring. “Daylight is when we can hunt. Night is when we’re hunted. So don’t make us a target.” Eyes darted back to Flynn, lips tightening. “And why are you twitching?”

”You’ve been making us march for something we haven’t found all day,” he informed her coldly. “If you didn’t know, humans require rest and water. There should be a stream nearby, and-”

” _No._ ” Sodia shifted, her sword coming up as Catherine growled the word. “You will stay right where you are. There’s a canteen by your side. Drink that.”

Slowly, Flynn raised it to his lips, and took a sip. It tasted flat, unsatisfying, hot. He needed the cool rushing water against his body, against him- he jumped, feeling fingers on his elbow. “Sir,” Sodia said, her voice low. “And I know she’s hearing me. But I don’t think we should let this threat continue.”

Catherine merely looked at them with slitted eyes as Flynn felt his sword against the palm of his hand. Then her eyes flitted up as she inhaled again, her good hand shifting. A knife slid into her palm, and both Flynn and Sodia fell into a defensive posture, trying to watch her movements in the dark. She nearly blended into it, her skin and hair the same color as the shadows, making it difficult to track her. He watched her body coil as she kept her eyes above, then looked at him. Something warred in her eyes, springing just as there was a rustle in the branches and he was knocked aside. A bone white shape landed on Catherine instead, snarling teeth and dirty hands meeting her knife. Sodia took in a sharp disbelieving gasp as Yuri slipped past Catherine’s faltering guard, fastening on her throat and tearing a chunk of skin out.

If Yuri killed her, the world would be better for it. She was beyond the justice system, beyond any human system at all. But at the same time... not like this. Not the feral creature he had become. Flynn’s sword made a shining line in the darkness, pressed up against the too white throat as he was about to lean back down. He could see a cut on Yuri’s face, deep and unbleeding. Bile rose through his throat as he remembered feeling no pulse against his fingers, and fought to keep his sword steady as Yuri looked at him with no recognition. The two stood slowly, black blood matte against Yuri’s chin as the press of the blade coaxed him to his feet. Without warning, he darted back into the trees, the bone pale skin slipping into shadows.

Sodia’s wide eyes caught his as he started to go after Yuri, the look of dawning understanding mixed with fear and panic. Her mouth worked, not sure what to say, her face tilting back towards where Yuri had gone. “Sir,” she started, voice strained before a hand wrapped around her wrist, dragging her down as Catherine surged up. Her sword whipped around, biting into the newly healed arm. “Go!” Sodia shouted over Catherine’s inhuman howl, slamming a boot into the wound. “Get Lowell! I have her!”

Flynn’s feet moved over the uneven ground before she could finish. Yuri wasn’t hard to follow in the darkness; with even the slightest light, his deathly white skin stood out like a ghost. Problem was, he was so far ahead of him. If he could get closer, he could stop Yuri, stop the feral animal he had become. His feet faltered, yearning for something. The sound of water filled his ears, as loud as blood in his veins, Yuri leading him towards water-

Water. River. Flynn blinked, his feet frozen and waves lapping at his legs. He looked down, moonlight shining in river water. When had he made it to the river? He looked around, not quite feeling connected as he did. The river... what was he doing before? He remembered... blood? Catherine. A soft boil started in his veins, but he didn’t want to move. Not from here. It was- so nice. The moon shimmered in the water, silver and long, like hair-

Someone stepped from the tree line, steps haltering. He turned slowly, lip lifting as he saw a bloody Catherine barely holding herself up, hand wrapped around her injured arm and throat just barely covered with healed skin. “What did you do to Sodia?” came the question, dragged out almost without him thinking.

”Snack. But that’s not the issue, is it. We both know I know you’re there,” Catherine responded, her voice sandpaper rough. “I remember how the Commandant reacted to me. You’re less subtle.”

His lips twisted without him knowing why. “You’re better than your pathetic heritage claims.” The words didn’t make sense, couldn’t be stopped-

Catherine’s head tilted. “If you’re trying to make me angry, you’re a thousand years too late for that to be an insult. Now. Get out of him and if you run away into the water like before, I swear I will light you on fire before I take your head.”

Lips stretched into a humorless smile. “If you could catch me before I drowned this one. And anyway...” A surge of vindictiveness spiked through his veins as he felt her, that girl, the one puppeting him press against his skin. “I think he would have something to say about the one that gave him a moment of peace, that made him think everything would be okay, his precious _Liliya_ would be killed by a filthy demon like you.”

Time stopped for a moment, Catherine too still. Her body went too stiff, every bit of her suffused with pain. With her insane burst of speed, she darted forward, yanking the sword out of his hand with inhuman strength, turning it to shove it into his chest. “How dare you,” she hissed, looking past his eyes to the one hidden inside. “That name is not yours to use.” She yanked his head down, lips pressing against his in her deadly kiss. But this time, he could feel something, his puppeteer being pulled by her press of lips. Catherine pulled back, inhaling the entire time as she yanked the sword out.

And Flynn dropped, the girl’s possession the only thing keeping him upright. Somehow, he collapsed halfway across the river bank, watching with pained eyes as silver hair shimmered in the moonlight, a horribly innocent looking being now corporeal, moving backwards to the river. A swipe cut a long wound across her face, river water streaming down from the bridge of her nose before her feet met water and she melted into it in seconds. Catherine stumbled to a stop, her teeth gritting as her breath came harsher, almost sobbing.

The last thing he heard was Catherine turning to leave, dropping his sword beside the river.


	7. Chapter 7

A foul odor and taste brought sense back to Flynn. His throat closed as he gagged, suddenly sitting up as his awareness blazed to life. Breaths rasped harshly as everything _felt_ so much it hurt, then died back to its usual level. Except the ache in his chest, that stayed. Long fingers curled around his shoulder, and he looked up at Judith’s unhappy mien, the rising sun behind her.

”We’re going to have to have a long talk about what it means not to worry your friends,” she told him seriously, standing slowly from her crouch. Her fingers fished out an Apple Gel, passing it to him. “Is there a reason why I had to use a Life Bottle just now?”

That would explain the taste and smell. Flynn took the Gel, apple overwriting the taste of the Life Bottle and easing the wound in his chest. “Catherine’s here.” His simple words made her eyes widen, and he nodded before starting to stand. “Apparently whatever is here has a grudge against her and is possessing people of the town to attack her.” A hand rose to rub the healing wound, grunting as fingers encountered a sore spot. “If we don’t find them, there will more caught between them, and I don’t think they’ll wait for any Knights or guilds to show up. Catherine’s already-” Memory hit him, and he turned towards the treeline. “Damn!”

”What-” Judith followed him as he dashed back towards where Sodia had been left. He had no idea how far he had wandered, but considering that he had heard the stream when they had stopped- Flynn looked around, pausing as he got his bearings. It looked familiar, and if he was right, then she should be right this way. A hand on his shoulder made him stop, and he looked over at Judith. “Flynn. What is it?”

”Sodia. She’s the one running packages for the town, and she was with us when Catherine- She was attacked.” He set out again, trying to determine if it looked familiar because they had walked towards that direction, or from it. “Catherine had called her a _snack._ ”

Judith let out an angry noise from behind him, her heels slamming into the dirt as she followed. It wasn’t anything to pay mind to, he had to find Sodia- until she spoke up again. “Are you sure that’s something you want to do? After what Sodia did?”

That made Flynn stop. “She did something unforgivable,” came the answer, voice tight and controlled. “And the fact she’s responsible for what Yuri is now isn’t something I’ve forgotten. But that doesn’t mean we can just let her die here.”

A breath was let out as Judith nodded. “You’ve been acting strange,” she told him mildly. “Leaving in the middle of the night like that, and wandering the woods all day with Sodia, finding you bleeding out with a stab wound...”

”I was possessed,” he said softly, almost too quiet for her to hear. “It used me to get to Catherine this time. I-” Flynn broke off as a glint of copper hair caught his attention, Sodia slowly standing up. Her legs buckled, and she had to grab the tree to keep standing. Flynn rushed over to her, ready to catch her if she fell. “Sodia.”

”Sir?” She looked up, eyes dazed. “Sir, I didn’t- I could fight her off, but I didn’t realize what she did-” Sodia looked over at Judith, then back at Flynn. Her eyes sharpened when she realized what was splattered across his chest, and looked over at the other woman again. “Did Lowell get away?”

That made Judith blink, and Flynn nodded. “It wasn’t Yuri.” His hand massaged the wound again, hissing as he found the sore area. “At least who did this. And... what you saw as well.” He looked between the two of them, and let out a breath. “What you saw was a vampire, Sodia. A dead body reanimated by a desire so strong it brought him back from death. And he’s...” The word didn’t want to come. “Feral. It was Yuri that caused all the animal and monster bodies six months ago around Zaphias. He’s only gotten worse.” He looked at Judith, nodding at her. “Which makes it something that concerns me. He seems to be fixated on Catherine after what she’s done. The one that stabbed me...” Flynn just resisted touching his chest again. “Was Catherine.”

Sodia’s lips parted as guilt rose to her face. “Sir, if I had known, I-”

”You would still be here like this.” Judith took a few steps forward, her eyes scanning the woods around them. “I’ve seen her. She wasn’t even trying when I saw her and she nearly caught me. Unless you just have no sex drive, you would have had no chance.” That last bit was directly slyly at Flynn, a slightly flush coming to his cheeks. In her own way, she had, as he had seen how she held herself, how she moved with animalistic deadly grace and yet his mind twisted to make her seem harmless and a good friend for Estellise.

But- Judith had professed an interest in women. Had Sodia... he looked at her, wondering. Sodia was able to break out of what Catherine had called a fascination, though Judith had just been slightly wary. “The town’s still in danger,” he told them instead, looking behind him. “Yuri’s killing townspeople for blood now that his mind is gone, and the- lady in white-” If he knew her true name, not the one used to rile up Catherine, or what she was... “and Catherine are using the people as tools against each other. We can’t wait for the Knights or guilds to get here.”

”What do you propose?” Even now, Sodia deferred to him. Judith nodded at him, having made her own decision. He looked between them, mind going between options. Yuri was a threat to everyone, no matter what. And he had no idea what would happen if he focused on taking Catherine and the lady out first. But the two unnatural women had proven their feud directly involved the town, and had even almost killed him. A chill wormed its way down his back at the idea that maybe that had been the lady’s plan. That she had wanted to kill him specifically.

”I don’t know where Yuri or Catherine are,” he finally admitted. “Both of them escaped into the forest. The lady did as well, but she escaped into the river. It’ll be easier to find her if we stick to the river. There’s also a chance by finding her, we find Catherine, and possibly Yuri.”

”And if Yuri gets away?”

Judith’s words made his hands clench. That possibility always existed, and it seemed more likely with each passing moment. “Then we’ll look for him afterwards. We need to take care of this now.”

”I agree.” Sodia flexed her own hands, frowning. Flynn felt a pang of sympathy, remembering the numbness he had felt when Catherine had sipped at him. “What are our supplies?”

Flynn moved to check, fingers brushing over the meager amount of Lemon and Apple Gels. Judith and Sodia didn’t have much either, causing all of them to look uneasy. “We have a very narrow margin of error.” He counted again, not liking how everything added up under ten. “We’ll have to do this fast.”

To that, Judith just grinned. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

* * *

The river stretched longer than Flynn remembered.

”She’s hiding well,” Judith murmured, coming up by his side. “Or...”

Sodia nodded, catching on to her thought. “Or she’s targeting the Commandant directly.” She looked at Flynn, thinking quickly. “We might have travel separately and listen for when the other group is attacked.”

The thought made him uneasy. After the fact she had possessed him so easily (and the peace he had felt at her possession, the feeling that everything was right) meant that perhaps they wouldn’t hear it. “I don’t think-” Flynn started before he shook his head. “She’s not human, and how fast she was able to posses me...”

”It looks like our only option, Sir.”

Flynn rubbed his head, trying to come up with something else. If he was possessed again, or if it was Sodia or... He looked at Judith, not wanting to think about that possibility. “No,” he told them firmly. “We’re not taking that risk. If she wants me, then she has to-”

A shout interrupted him, throaty and angry. Two swords pulled free of their sheaths at the same Judith lowered her polearm. It sounded further up, and slightly familiar. Flynn nodded at the other two, and started out at a run towards the yell. If it wasn’t, it was still someone in trouble, someone they needed to help.

Flynn pulled himself up short just as a dagger embedded itself next to him. It had gone wide enough that it looked as if whoever had thrown it had missed their target, not aiming at him. His spine crawled at a feminine laugh, one becoming very familiar, punctuated with the sound of a body hitting the ground. Even before breaking the trees to the river, he knew he’d see Catherine levering herself off the ground, twisting her body to force a kick, her leg still resisting full movement. The Lady staggered, her wounds still bleeding water, a few starting to stain red.

While it wouldn’t bother him if they killed each other, something seemed off about it. Something about what had happened the last time, about Catherine’s reaction. Her face now was a mask of rage and- As the Lady backhanded her with a casual swat of energy, he could see it. Grief.

”They would do our job for us if we leave them be,” Sodia muttered behind him.

Flynn shook his head. No. This wasn’t right. The name the Lady was using, Catherine’s reaction to it, and now the grief on her face... “Liliya.” He knew the two were looking at him oddly, but he couldn’t help it. Liliya had been someone to her, and this creature using her face and name hurt Catherine. They needed to be stopped... but not like this. Catherine didn’t deserve to die because she was blinded by anger and grief. “We’ll fight Catherine alone. Until then, help her take down the Lady.”

”Sir?” He could feel Sodia’s surprise, and he turned slightly. Judith wore the same expression, not quite trusting him.

”We can’t fight them both at the same time, not with our supplies and how strong they are. We need to decide who to take down first. Catherine at least has been shown to be willing to fight beside us.” Flynn looked back at the two unnatural women, keeping the rest to himself.

”He’s right.” At those words, Judith’s spear flashed as she dashed forward, catching the Lady from behind. The first strike surprised her, opening a line of bright red blood on her pale dress. Catherine pulled up short and glanced at them, honest surprise pulling her face into startling youthful lines. Had she truly not known they were there, as long as she was in her rage? Judith turned to one side as the Lady attacked, Sodia’s sword swinging in the unprotected side as Flynn and Catherine took the measure of each other.

It was a gamble, he knew. Catherine could very easily take advantage of them being distracted, given how fast and strong she could be even injured like this. Something passed in her face as she readjusted the grip on her remaining dagger, something cold and hard. So she had chosen this. Flynn readied himself for her attack, acutely aware of the pain from his stab wound, watching her warily.

He underestimated her speed, he realized. Before he realized it, she had leapt at him, her boots coming down. There was no time to dodge as they came down on his shoulders and- jumped again, using him to gain more height as she launched herself into the main fray. Flynn turned, surprised as she came down, just barely catching the Lady’s arm. She rolled awkwardly out of Judith’s way, nodding to Flynn. He nodded back, using the Lady’s dodge to press his own attack. Then his back hit a tree, the feeling of claws raking across his body. These kind of strikes- if they had a bow user, like Raven, they could distract her but like this-!

How had he not realized it before? Flynn regained his balance as he watched her almost casually backhand Sodia, snarling as she bled. They could injure her, but she was more powerful. They had to take her out quickly, not wear her down like this. Judith looked over at him, panting as her eyes had the same awareness. Sodia had the same awareness as she stood, an Apple Gel almost furtively slipping into her mouth. If they could- he made a gesture with his hand, flicking to the two of them. Sodia nodded, shifting to one side as Judith moved to the other. As if on a cue he couldn’t see, they attacked the Lady at the same time, angling just so that her dodge forced her back towards Catherine, towards that rage-

And sent her flying. She had known. Without thinking about it, Flynn raised his sword to her side, knowing she’d see it but if he moved fast enough he could-

Silver flashed through the air as the Lady’s body fell, dissolving into water. Her head dropped at Judith’s feet, the spell broken to show green-tinted wet hair framing scaly skin over almost fishy facial lines. It happened so suddenly that the silence after the battle roared in his ears, looking almost dumbly at the severed head. Dark fingers then tangled in that green hair as Catherine picked it up in one good hand. The other arm had broken in the battle, and her leg was back to no longer working. Black blood streamed down over her burn scars, making the stony look she gave them even more demonic. Sodia and Judith didn’t lower their weapons, but Flynn didn’t move. She wasn’t attacking. There had to be a reason, right?

Finally, she turned away, staggering off towards the woods. Flynn followed her, ignoring the shouts behind him. There had been something in her face, something he wanted to talk about. What had that all meant, who Liliya was, and- and an idea that had just blossomed in his mind.

”You’re taking a risk coming after me like this.” Catherine looked up from the fire she was building, her eyes unreadable.

”I had a few questions,” Flynn told her, his voice sharpening. “Who is Liliya?”

Catherine stopped her movements, her body tensing. It was almost as if she was to attack him right there before her clipped voice came out, “Someone I knew.”

”She had been someone you knew well.” Flynn took a half-step back as she stood, her face alight with anger.

”And you should shut up about her!” Catherine closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “What’s past is past, Commandant Scifo. She’s dead, and that is all that matters to you. And to this water bitch as well,” she added. “Do you know if she were to come in contact with any amount of water, she could regrow her entire body? And if her hair were to dry out before then, she wouldn’t be able to? Quite fascinating.” Casually, she lit the stack, throwing the head into the blaze.

”You’re avoiding the subject.”

Catherine laughed, her voice rich and full. “And now you get it.” She tilted her head, pursing her lips. “But that wasn’t it, was it. You have a more important question.”

Flynn nodded, watching her. This, this was the stupid thing. This was the thing that made the voice in the back of his head, the one that had told him not to go out when Yuri had been seen at first in Zaphias, start screaming at him. “You used us, didn’t you. To find her.”

That made her pause. Surprise crossed her face, then she shook her head. “I had no idea you had been targeted by her,” Catherine told him, her voice open and honest. “She took men that felt they had cheated on their lovers in some way, which meant that you must have done something that made you feel that way. By the time you came across me, you had already been taken by her.” She shook her head. “If you’re asking if you were a trap for her, the answer is no. Never for her.”

The wording stuck out in his head. “For-”

Pain radiated from his shoulder, breaking off the rest of the sentence. He looked down, seeing her dagger embedded there. Catherine pulled it free, grinning. “There was more than one thing hunting that town, dear Commandant. And the second is rather attached to you. If I keep harming you, well, the vampire is sure to show up at some point, isn’t he?”

Yuri.


	8. Chapter 8

Against the other monster, Catherine had seemed so slow. When pain lanced through his shoulder, she didn’t seem like it. She had moved faster than Flynn could react, shoving the dagger into another point in his shoulder with a grin. She twisted the blade deftly, then pulled her dagger free, holding it to his throat for a moment. The edge dug in, making him pause with the threat to slice before her hand dropped, shifting the hold on the weapon so her elbow could come up into his nose. As he staggered back, she propped herself up against a tree. "It's too bad you were in my way," she told him, her dagger tapping a rhythm against her leg.

"And why is that?" Flynn grit out. She may be fast, but she was still injured. With Judith and Sodia, they should be able to take her down. And they didn’t walk far, the two of them should be close by-

She sheathed her dagger long enough to grab him, her lips near his. “I could be glib and say it’s because you taste good,” Catherine breathed in his face. “And in fact, you do. You’re quite strong. But you’re also... someone I could have needed a thousand years ago.” She pressed her lips against him in her kiss, making his knees weak as he felt his strength flicker. The drain slowed, then stopped as she drew back. “I do like you,” she told him, her voice stronger. “And you do make wonderful bait.”

Yuri. It didn’t make sense. “Why do you want to kill Yuri?” he gasped out, willing to stay upright. Where were Sodia and Judith? Why weren’t they-?

”Because I don’t want to deal with a feral vampire after your death,” came the bizarre answer. “Trust me, I would much rather be bored out of my mind for a thousand years than deal with a vampire without his reason for returning.” She paused, then smiled. “You’re stalling me, aren’t you. These woods were strange, didn’t you notice? Taking longer to get to places, or shorter than you remember.” Her hand dropped to her dagger, pulling it out. “They belonged to her. With her death, well, your two teammates will find us eventually. But with luck, it’ll be after the vampire does.”

Flynn’s knees hit the ground as he finally lost his grip on standing. He was alone against her. Against a monster. “You...”

”Me.” Catherine’s head tilted, listening. “Well, at least someone is on their way.” She reached out, grabbing his chin. “Do live,” she told him, her voice quiet. “I’m curious myself who could be at Zaphias. And if it’s what I think it is, after I kill your vampire, I’ll help you kill it. For a price, of course.”

”I won’t trust...” His words broke off as her hand moved to cover his mouth, head shaking.

”Don’t make me hate you for not giving you a choice.” Catherine drew breath to say more before her gaze sharpened, tensing. Something warred in her face, the same he had seen each time before she had made a decision he didn’t expect. Before he could react, she leaned in, lips to his ears. “It’s time,” came the playful whisper before she pushed him, making him slide into a tree. As she did so, she jumped back just as Yuri came running through the trees, growling as he reached for her. Feral, she had called him, he had noticed, and yet it didn’t even cover how he swept at her. Each movement was mindless, heedless of how she moved. The Yuri he had known may not have been able to have stopped her, but it wouldn’t have been this _sloppy_. Flynn reached for his sword, stopping as his shoulders screamed in pain. If he didn’t stop Yuri, make him at least see-

Catherine would be the one to kill him, and she would get away. The thought spurred him to his feet. Yuri needed to be stopped. But his death needed to be on Flynn. It was... because of him that he came back. Why he was a monster. And it was his duty to bring Catherine to justice. Flynn took a few staggering steps, trying to regain the strength Catherine had sapped- as someone crashed into him, forcing him onto his back with a cry of pain. Loose dark hair filled his vision - Yuri - as hands grabbed him. Flynn could feel the cold body on top of him inhale ( _the first time he ever had, Yuri didn’t breathe, he was smelling him his blood-_ ) before teeth pressed against his throat.

The knowledge of where they were, of Catherine, of Sodia and Judith nearby became secondary as the sensation he had missed shivered through him, as silvery sharp as before. A moan slipped from his lips as the teeth broke the skin over the scars. It felt- so good. He could hear something, some kind of fight, but all he could do is let Yuri dig into his flesh and lap up blood. Flynn could hear the little, sane voice telling him to shove Yuri off, to pay attention to what was around him. His hips jerked a little, the only person to make him want so badly to grab him even-

Even if it killed him. He had forgotten. Flynn grabbed Yuri’s hair, trying to pull him off. He had forgotten how much he had wanted this that it could kill him. Growling, Yuri grabbed his hands, pinning him as he raised his head. For a moment, the monster looked down at him, then sanity crashed into those aching features. “Flynn,” Yuri breathed, his hands moving slightly as he let him go.

Yuri was back. Flynn looked up at him, dumbfounded. If Yuri was back, didn’t that mean he didn’t have to be killed? But- Flynn’s throat throbbed a counterpoint as thoughts started to stutter. He could figure it out later. He was just so... tired right now. Flynn let his head list to one side, seeing Judith aim a kick at Catherine that drove her towards Sodia’s waiting attack. So that was what he had been hearing. He could feel Yuri bending back down to his shoulder, lips against the wound as the blood called to him too strongly. He should have stopped him but- the rush of strength he had gotten came to a halt as his vision started to darken. Just a little rest.

Then Yuri pulled himself off. “Yo, bitch,” Flynn could hear him say, making him open his eyes slightly. Both Judith and Sodia came to a halt, whipping around to look at him with disbelieving eyes as Catherine shifted her balance. “Think you want to pick on someone your own size?”

”If you can find someone that isn’t a towering giant, that would be very nice,” she purred, her posture the most wary it had been. “But you will do.” Catherine shoved Sodia out of the way, making her crash into Judith as she threw herself at Yuri, dagger sweeping in front of her. He grabbed her easily and twisted, throwing her into the trees before rushing after her.

No. No, that’s not what needed to be done. Flynn struggled to a sitting position, starting to feel numb. He had to go after them, had to-

”Sir!” A hand grabbed his shoulder, pushing him back down. “Judith, do you have any more Gels left?”

”One.” He had never heard her voice so grim... The sweet smell of apple tickled his nose as Sodia pressed an Apple Gel against his lips. Flynn swallowed it, knowing after the fight with the Lady and Catherine, he needed it. And he needed to go after them, to stop them. “If we don’t get him either more Gels or some real attention, he’s going to bleed out.”

”I know.” Sodia sounded equally grim. As he closed his eyes, he could hear something ripping. “Sir, open your eyes. We need to get you back to town. Sir- Flynn!”

”I’m just resting,” he told her quietly. “And I can’t. Yuri-”

He could feel something being packed against his shoulders and firmly wound around his neck. “Isn’t worth your life,” Judith told him. Someone picked him up, holding him close. “You can find them later. Right now, you need to live.”

If he could have refuted her words before darkness claimed him, he would have.

* * *

Waking to the sensation of pain started to be very familiar. It wasn’t as sharp as it could be, so someone had fed him Gels, but his shoulders still felt sore and when Flynn shifted his head, shivers of pain to the point of pleasure rolled through his throat. The bed under him squeaked as he sat up slowly, passing a hand over his face. He had been so close to ending this. Yuri and Catherine had been right there, and they had taken down what had been hunting this town. Flynn felt his hand shake as his breathing quickened. He had been so _close_!

And now not only were they still out there, still able to kill a mass number of people again, there was someone in Zaphias. If Catherine was to be believed, there was another player. Flynn grit his teeth, running his hands through his hair. When was this going to end? When was it going to go back to the worse thing he had to worry about was human thoughts and hatred? He took a deep breath, trying to even it out. What had he stumbled upon?

No matter what it was, he needed to put it together, and fast. Zaphias would fall apart if he didn’t find who was still controlling his Knights and terrorizing Estellise. Once he got that under control, he could get a squad together to hunt down Catherine and Yuri. It needed to be done quickly, though.

His thoughts were interrupted as the door opened, making him reflexively move for a sword not there before he realized it was Sodia. “You’re awake,” she said, her voice full of relief. “Sir-”

”Sodia.” Flynn waved a hand at a nearby chair wearily. “You saved my life.”

She sat stiffly, nodding. “Of course, Sir. Judith and I- we couldn’t leave you to die.”

The two of them... Flynn rubbed his face, nodding. “I understand. Sodia...”

”Sir?” Her voice held a note of apprehension as her spine went military straight.

”You’re not my second in command anymore.” The words hurt to say. It had felt so right to fight next to her again, her and Judith. “You don’t have to call me that.”

She shook her head. “I know, Sir. It just... still feels right.”

Flynn took a breath, nodding. “Sodia, I-” What did he need to say? He paused, putting his thoughts in order. “What are you going to do now?”

The question seemed to throw her. Sodia blinked, confused. “I was going to go back to what I was doing,” she told him cautiously. “Helping those who needed help. Making the world better from where I could.”

He couldn’t accept that. There had to be a way that he could work with her again, even- “You can’t be allowed back into the military,” he told her, watching the pain cross her eyes at the reminder. “And I can’t outright hire just you to work with me when we need the extra help.”

”I understand,” Sodia said slowly, realizing he was thinking about something but not sure what. Knowing he was thinking of something so they could work together again.

Flynn nodded at her, helping it along. “Is Judith nearby?”

”Yes, she- You can’t mean I work for a _guild_! And _that_ one!

”I do.” He let out a breath. It was the best option he could think of. “As it is, I can’t hire you directly if we need civilian help. Not with your history. But we _can_ hire a group, and if you happen to be in it... and as it is, Brave Vesperia was founded on the same principles we try to uphold. They’re trying to help those who need it, and they do what I can’t. Sometimes... I don’t want to know what it is they do. But they’re the only guild I trust to hire if we need outside help.” He looked at her seriously, watching the look on her face change. “You and Judith worked together very well. Against each of the monsters... I can see you working with Brave Vesperia, and continuing to help those who need help.”

”Sir...”

”Flynn.”

Sodia paused, then continued uncomfortably, “Flynn. It won’t be that easy.”

”Please think about it,” he told her softly. “I- haven’t had a good second in command since I lost you.”

She stood slowly, her hand moving to a salute before realizing what she was about to do. “I will,” Sodia said, her words thoughtful. “And Sir- Flynn?”

”Yes?”

”That was a low blow.”

* * *

“Are you ready?”

Judith tied her pack shut. “Ready.” But instead of picking it up, her fingers came up to gently stroked his chin, taking extra care not to touch the bandages still around his throat. She hadn’t asked about what had happened, about why he hadn’t fought back as Yuri ripped into his throat, and while he appreciated it... “Are you ready, Flynn?”

He gently took her hand, lowering it slightly as his thumb brushed over her knuckles. “Why do you ask?”

”You’ve been quiet since the woods.” Her hand squeezed his slightly as she moved closer slightly. “Are you ready to leave this behind? Are you ready to go back to Zaphias, back home?”

He couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lips. “It wasn’t much of a vacation, was it?” Flynn said, watching a sparkle of humor enter her eyes. “There’s something I need to do there. There might be... something like Catherine still there. And you-”

”I’ll tell Karol to watch for Sodia,” she finished. “I don’t guarantee he’ll hire her, not after what she did, but he won’t turn her away just because of it.” Her eyes shadowed a bit as memory crossed them. “We’ve all done things that would keep us from being part of Brave Vesperia if he did that.”

Flynn cupped her cheek. All done things... his lips met hers in a soft kiss, wanting to melt that look from her face. “As long as he’ll give her a chance,” he told her softly. “Judith...”

”I care for you, Flynn.” Her other arm came up around his shoulder carefully, long fingers tangling in his hair. “And I know I’m not the only one. Just... don’t let what’s going on blind you to that.” She pressed her lips against his one more time. “I’m not the only one that loves you,” she whispered against his skin. “So don’t make all of us that love you sad.”

”I know.” He released her slowly, the two of them stepping back out of the embrace. “I wish I could end this trip with you returning to Zaphias with me.”

Judith smiled at that, hefting her pack. “And distract you from your work?” Something about what she said made him blush. It wasn’t any part sexual, and yet- “Next time I’m in town, we’ll have a proper date. This time with no bodies and a nice comfortable friendly atmosphere where I don’t have to beat sense into you. Sound good?”

If his cheeks were any hotter, he could cook off of them. “It does,” Flynn finally said, making her grin grow wider. “We should go,” he told her, turning away. “If we want to get where we want to by nightfall, we need to leave now.”

”You’re right.” She swept by him, giving him a grin as she did. “Let’s go spend our last day together.”

Flynn answered her grin with his own smile, following her out. For all that had happened, with nearly dying, finding Catherine and Yuri, the blood loss... the vacation hadn’t been all that bad.

Not at all.

The End


End file.
